I think about how I spend my time a lot. I think if I’m spending it with the right people, doing the right things, making the right choices and my future plans. Thus, I decided to put a list together from my personal experiences which will help you save your time and avoid some of my mistakes.

Believe me, I’m all for learning through doing, but yes, there are things you wish sometimes, someone had just told you, right? So, here they are:

– Splurge on experiences, NOT THINGS!

You probably want to own a list of items- from an early age we are conditioned to become ‘buyers’. Over time, I’ve realized, that when you spend on experiences instead, you make memories. Those memories, contribute to your growth as an individual and you change a relative amount because of that experience. On the other hand, things lie on shelves, inside closets, and create nothing but clutter. Yes, you might derive a sense of worth by owning some things, but in my opinion, your personal worth should never depend on your possessions. You determine the quality of life by assessing the quality of relationships, the inner peace and the excitement about life, in general.

– Don’t be pressured into doing things you don’t really care about.

Your time is valuable. Your time is yours, it is personal. Keep it for investing it into projects and cause you care about- not what ‘everyone else is doing’. If you enter that cycle, you’ll be chasing an idea, for a long time. And chances are, disappointment will strike you sooner than later, because you’re not invested in it deeply and emotionally enough.

– You’re never going to be able to please everyone- DON’T BOTHER!

Truth is, there will ALWAYS be nuts who will self-assign the position of ‘critics’ in your life. They will make you the center of their universe, and mock everything you do. Best advice? Nobody deserves your attention, love, and support more than YOU. Stand by yourself, believe in your ideas and focus on doing the right things- you will start attracting the right people along your journey.

(“All of my possessions for a moment of time” – last words of Elizabeth I)

– Fall in love, fall often, and never look back!

Falling in love is a magnificent experience, probably the best human experience to feel in a lifetime. If it works on the first run, good- but if it doesn’t, mourn it, accept it and move on. Heartbreak is never a good feeling, but once you try to proactively get out of it, you’ll realize your true potential, magnify your strengths and shun all the past inhibitions. Let your light shine, star! Also, you’ll probably ‘always’ miss them for a while, but that’s the time to realize that being happy independently is necessary before you choose to live interdependently.

– Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

Be it for an event, a meeting, a call- stop making false commitments. Be true to your word, if you promise, show up and on time. Once, people start realizing you’re full of integrity and punctual, they’ll start valuing the time you spend with them and mirroring the same ethics. Integrity and punctuality- these two diamonds are timeless.

– Your fitness is your responsibility.

Run, engage in sports, take classes- do what you have to but take care of your body especially while you’re young. You can thank me for this, when you’re 50 and still able to do pushups. No honestly, create fitness goals, test yourself, push to extremes and achieve your goals. Being fit not only makes you feel confident and more in control of your life, it makes you very, very productive.

– Don’t wait for them to say, “YES!”

The longer you wait to get things handed down to you, the further you push your goals away. Nobody is going to hand you anything- it is solely your prerogative to chase after things you want, lifestyle that you want to swear by and milestones you want to achieve. You can have all the ideas and plans, but if you’re not taking actions to get closer to your ambition- you’re wasting your life. Period. If you seek it, go get it, lazy bum!

– Don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat.

Be honest. I don’t believe in Karma, but yes, if you are awful to people, if you deceive them- you’ll find a bigger player who will come and sweep the ground from beneath you. Even if it is as small as a lie, don’t tell it. Don’t lie on your CV, don’t lie in relationships and don’t deprive someone of what is theirs. Be generous, give, and be honest about what you do- especially with the people who really care about you.

You’re in the longest relationship with yourself for a lifetime- and you need to be able to like, strike, love, the person you’re with. That only comes with true alignment of character with values- be genuine!

– Avoid poor content, boring drama and bad food.

You really don’t need TV series, acquaintances who bring you down and no-nutrition food. Focus on quality. Eat quality food, watch inspirational and motivational content and engage in building high-quality relationships. The more you surround yourself with negativity, the more you miss out on life. Life is wonderful, don’t let your surroundings mislead you into thinking otherwise!

Distance yourself from the so-called friends who can’t stand to see you grow. Stop being reactive and consuming images all the time, start creating content, create amazing things!

At every moment, you’re equipped which two choices- to make or break, take the stones, don’t let them be roadblocks but make stepping stones out of each one! Everything you’re facing, every problem, is a ladder. Start climbing!

– DON’T REGRET.

Don’t beat yourself up for your past. “Past is just a story you keep telling yourself,” learn to exist in the moment, be present in your present. It doesn’t matter where you come from, all that matters is where you’re headed. Keep your eyes on the goal, cupcake! (2 cliches, and one cupcake in 3 lines- I’m beginning to enjoy this!)

Don’t time travel into the past, roaming through the nuances as if they can change. Don’t waste time on pages you’ve already read- there is too much life to see.

Today it starts all over again. Every tomorrow is determined by every today.